I own a 1 year old Octavia II 1.8l TSI . I got this service a month back. I now see a flashing Service message when I start the car. I assumed the dealer had not reset the Service Interval but when I did a scan with a recently purchased Ross-Tech HEX-CAN interface cable and VCDS, I see a message "poor quality " in the measurement log against oil quality.

I want to know from the experts in this forum :

1. Does the TSI indeed have an oil quality sensor that can detect saturation of suspended particles ?

2. If so could the service indication a result of this even though the dealer may have reset the service interval indicator after the first service? To the suspicious eye the oil seemed a little dark.

or

3. Is it possible the dealer did not reset the service interval indicator (shown by the interval from last inspection showing 412 days) and the poor quality message is a result of the system concluding the quality must be poor because the max interval has been exceeded. I cant recollect when I first the saw the flashing service indicator - it may have been around the completion of 1 year.

Would appreciate your help in interpreting the log to confirm one or the other.

See the log below - the poor quality message is in bold

Friday,11,February,2011,17:43:22:09132

VCDS Version: Release 10.6.3

Data version: 20101206

17:43:00

104.1 ° Fuel gauge needle position 017

17000 km ESI: Max lower limit of maintenance intervals distance 038

372 Days ESI: Max lower limit of maint intervals time interval 039-1

372 Days ESI: Min. oil level in service interval 039-2

372 Days ESI: Max. oil level in service interval 039-3

N/A ESI: Upr-limit of serv. int. driv. dist. 040

N/A ESI: Upr-limit of serv. int. time int. 041

N/A ESI: Lwr-limit of serv. int. driv. dist. 042

N/A ESI: Lwr-limit of serv. int. time int. 043

7400 km ESI: Distance driven since inspection 044

416 Days ESI: Time since inspection 045

0 km ESI: Soot entry 046

Friday,11,February,2011,17:46:39:09132

VCDS Version: Release 10.6.3

Data version: 20101206

17:46:20

104.1 ° Fuel gauge needle position 017

1080 ml ESI: Max. oil level in service interval 039-3

13900 km ESI: Thermal load 047

poor oil quality ESI: Oil quality 048

dyn. oil press. warn. ON; oil press. < syst.-spec. sw. thresh. Oil pressure switch 049

OK Oil fill level 050

Unknown Communication status of data bus 1 051

Unknown Communication status of data bus 1 052

0 ESI: Cum. total of fuel level values 126

N/A Analysis 2 127

N/A Analysis 3 128

Friday,11,February,2011,17:49:59:09132

VCDS Version: Release 10.6.3

Data version: 20101206

17:49:40

0.0 km/h Speed Sensor Front Left (G47)

0.0 km/h Speed Sensor Front Right (G45)

0.0 km/h Speed Sensor Rear Left (G46)

0.0 km/h Speed Sensor Rear Right (G44)

Activated Parking Brake

Not Oper. Brake Light Switch (F)

OFF Brake System Warning L. (K118)

OFF ABS Warning L. (K47)

OFF ASR/ESP Warning L. (K155)

Not Oper. ASR/ESP Button (E256)

Friday,11,February,2011,17:55:52:09132

VCDS Version: Release 10.6.3

Data version: 20101206

17:55:26

760 /min Engine Speed (G28)

89.0°C Coolant Temperature (G62)

0.0 % Lambda Control Bank 1

10110111 Basic Setting Requirements

760 /min Engine Speed (G28)

15.8 % Engine Load

1.02 ms Injection Timing

2.42 g/s Mass Air Flow Sensor (G70)

760 /min Engine Speed (G28)

2.42 g/s Mass Air Flow Sensor (G70)

2.4 % Throttle Valve Angle

0.0 °BTDC Ignition Timing Angle

Friday,11,February,2011,17:57:07:09132

VCDS Version: Release 10.6.3

Data version: 20101206

17:56:50

720 /min Engine Speed (G28)

13.536 V Battery Voltage (Terminal 30)

94.0°C Coolant Temperature (G62)

58.0°C Intake Air Temperature (G42)

720 /min Engine Speed (G28)

15.8 % Engine Load

0.0 km/h Vehicle Speed

Idle Load Status

720 /min Engine Speed (G28)

15.8 % Engine Load

58.0°C Intake Air Temperature (G42)

-0.8 % Altitude Correction Factor

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

17:58:21

720 /min Engine Speed (G28)

15.8 % Engine Load

98.0°C Coolant Temperature (G62)

00000001 Operating Mode

66.5 mm Oil Level

51.5 mm Oil Warning Threshold

14176 Fuel Consumption Signal

14 Fuel Consumption Equivalent

720 /min Engine Speed (G28)

15.0 % Engine Load

2.4 % Throttle Valve Angle

3.8 °BTDC Ignition Timing Angle

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

17:58:26

720 /min Engine Speed (G28)

15.8 % Engine Load

98.0°C Coolant Temperature (G62)

00000001 Operating Mode

66.5 mm Oil Level

52.0 mm Oil Warning Threshold

15258 Fuel Consumption Signal

14 Fuel Consumption Equivalent

760 /min Engine Speed (G28)

15.8 % Engine Load

2.4 % Throttle Valve Angle

0.8 °BTDC Ignition Timing Angle

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

17:58:28

720 /min Engine Speed (G28)

15.0 % Engine Load

98.0°C Coolant Temperature (G62)

00000001 Operating Mode

66.5 mm Oil Level

52.0 mm Oil Warning Threshold

15751 Fuel Consumption Signal

14 Fuel Consumption Equivalent

720 /min Engine Speed (G28)

15.0 % Engine Load

2.4 % Throttle Valve Angle

1.5 °BTDC Ignition Timing Angle

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

17:59:32

720 /min Engine Speed (G28)

98.0°C Coolant Temperature (G62)

760 /min Engine Speed (G28)

15.0 % Engine Load

0 Misfire Counter

Enabled Misfire Recognition

0 Misfire Counter Cylinder 1

0 Misfire Counter Cylinder 2

0 Misfire Counter Cylinder 3

Enabled Misfire Recognition

0 Misfire Counter Cylinder 4

It has an oil quality sensor fitted, for use with variable service intervals. As I understand it, this is able to measure the viscosity of the oil.

I suspect that the sensor has not been properly reset, or reset at all. As you say, if this hasn't been done and the car thinks a service is overdue. The sensor also needs to be reset so that it knows to expect oil of a different viscosity, as it's new.

I would advise taking it back to the garage you had the service done at. Was this a main Skoda dealer?

Hope this helps.

Steve

It has an oil quality sensor fitted, for use with variable service intervals. As I understand it, this is able to measure the viscosity of the oil.

I suspect that the sensor has not been properly reset, or reset at all. As you say, if this hasn't been done and the car thinks a service is overdue. The sensor also needs to be reset so that it knows to expect oil of a different viscosity, as it's new.

I would advise taking it back to the garage you had the service done at. Was this a main Skoda dealer?

Hope this helps.

Steve

A simple SRI reset and writing "good quality" into the oil quality channel seems to have fixed this. My conclusion - the service reminder was not reset and the Computer concludes if the time since last inspection > the max interval and/or distance since last inspection > max interval distance, sets the oil quality to poor quality. I dont think it is a real sensor . It seems to be a computed ( derived) measurement.